Green Roof

NYHQ installed a modular green roof at the hospital's main campus
in Flushing, N.Y. The project's goal is to decrease the amount of
stormwater and sewer overflow into adjacent waterways. Half of the
green roof was planted in the fall of 2012 and is now blooming, see
photos below. Additional plantings will take place this
spring. When complete, the green roof will cover one half acre of
roof space.

The project is part of a New York City Department of Environmental
Protection (DEP) grant entitled "Flushing and Gowanus Green
Infrastructure Grant Initiative." The grant program was created to
encourage the large scale development of green infrastructure
projects that will reduce stormwater runoff during wet weather.
Stormwater runoff can carry sediment, trash, fertilizers, solvents, and
automobile fluids from paved surfaces into the local waterways.
The negative impacts of these elements entering our waterways are well
documented. Additionally, in New York City the sewer system
and the stormwater system are combined. During heavy storms, this
system often reaches capacity and a mixture of stormwater and wastewater
is discharged into local waterways.

Manhattan College was the grant recipient and they championed the
project. Scott Lowe, Ph.D., P.E., associate professor in Manhattan
College’s school of engineering and lead investigator for the project,
is partnering with HDR Engineering, an architectural, engineering and
consulting firm, to design and install 20,000 square feet of modular
green roof. Manhattan College engineering students will be
involved at every stage of the project. Students gather and analyze
data over a four-year period to determine how much water is being
captured.

The DEP grant awards were provided to projects most likely to succeed
and be replicated on a large scale. The DEP targeted projects in
areas adjacent to Flushing Bay and the Gowanus Canal as these waterways
suffer from very poor water quality and are regions with combined sewer
and stormwater systems. Green roofs use vegetation
and soils to absorb and evaporate water. These
types of projects are a key component of PlaNYC's sustainability effort
because they also shade and cool the city, improve air quality, and
increase property values. According to the DEP, "these
characteristics, the minimal energy and manpower required for operation,
and the relatively quick installation mean that green infrastructure can
be cost-effective and provide immediate benefits".

NYHQ is a participating healthcare partner in the PlaNYC program, and
has already achieved significant results in reducing its carbon
footprint. The new green roof is another key step in greening NYHQ
and furthering our sustainability initiatives.

This section of the green roof is located just
outside our maternity unit, providing a
beautiful view to our newest mothers.

This section of the green roof is carefully

placed around mechanical equipment.

Click on the following links to read articles and web postings related
to our green roof project.